U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,390 was granted to the present applicant on Jun. 11, 1991, for an "Orthotic Device for Limiting Limb Motion at a Joint". That patent discloses an ankle-foot orthosis with an adjustable stop mechanism for limiting downward motion of the foot. No provision was made in that orthosis for limiting foot motion in the opposite direction.
An ankle-foot orthosis with provision for adjustably controlling the range of motion of the foot in both directions is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,360, granted Sep. 3, 1991, to W. R. Janke for "Orthosis With Variable Motion Controls". Adjustments to the range of motion permitted requires replacement of pairs of cam members in an ankle joint assembly of the appliance.
There continues to be a need for an orthosis with provisions for easily and reliably adjusting limb motion in both directions.